I Love My Master

So this morning I was reading
Psalm 42:8
The Lord WILL command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song WILL be with me in the night.
When I read this last month I was in a different place emotionally, spiritually and mentally. It seemed a bit far fetched. But I see how true God is to His word. Sitting this morning hungry for God's word in my life as I have each morning for the past month and a half I saw how God has re sparked my heart for Him.
For some reason I was thinking about slaves in the old testament and the guidelines God had established for all His people in the book of Exodus. Slavery in the Old Testament was a totally different slavery than a westerner would think so bear with me. A slave was usually serving for six years and it was over in the seventh year. However, at the end of the sixth year that slave had the option to choose to stay and commit himself to his master for the rest of his life as a bond servant.
Exodus 21:1-6
"Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them: "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment.” If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him.  "If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. "But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' then his master shall bring him to God, and then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently. 

There were some who actually chose to stay! CRAZY, RIGHT?! But God spoke to my heart this morning something very simple and at the same time very eye opening:
This slave committed himself FOREVER to his master because he knew who his master was. Obviously, a person would not commit themselves to serving someone forever if their master were a harsh unreasonable man. This slave in Exodus who wanted to stay would be basing it off of a love for his master.
His master would then "Bring him before God" and pierce his ear at the doorpost.
The doorpost was the same place the blood of an unblemished lamb was spread during passover.

Do I love my Master Jesus Christ? Are my ears opened (pierced) so that I can hear Him? Do I obey and serve Him out of love? Will I? Or is it just duty? I realize the only way I can obey God is because of Jesus, who went before me and obeyed His Father. The only way I think this is possible is because of KNOWING GOD. KNOWING who He is, His character. If I find it very hard to obey God, somewhere along the way I have forgotten who my Master is and what He is like. In those times I need to look back to that doorpost and remember the blood. The perfect blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world that was shed for me.

If you're suffering and you know it clap your hands

Yes that is to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands." Sorry but that is just how my mind works (and I don't even have kids yet)

At any point in your journey have you known God was calling you to suffer and did you fight   it kicking and screaming? because I realize I have been. I imagine I am not alone in this.

This morning the Holy Spirit brought to mind Paul and his conversion from Saul. In Acts 9:15 God tells Ananias "Go (to Paul), for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will SHOW him HOW MUCH he MUST suffer for My name's sake."

Do you want God to work in and through your life??? Do you want to be able to encourage and strengthen the souls of others who love Jesus? Do you want people to come to know Jesus as their Savior?

Suffering is required.

In Acts 14:22 Paul strengthened he souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith saying, "through MANY tribulations we MUST enter the kingdom of God."

If you read from the beginning of Acts 14 you'll see that Paul flees one city when he finds out they are about to stone him to death for the message he was preaching. When he moves along and preaches, it seems as though the people are so receptive to the gospel but then the Jews get them all worked up so that they actually stone Paul and take him outside of their city thinking he is DEAD (v:19-20).

Maybe this was when God gave Paul the vision where Paul was sent a messenger to torment him and he asked God to take it away three times but God said "No, My grace will be enough for you, because My strength is perfected in weaknesses." (2 Corinthians 12:1-10) I am unsure.. What I do know is that Paul, after being stoned to death nearly that he got right back up and went straight back into the city and preached and that is when he encouraged the other disciples and told them that through MANY tribulations we MUST enter the kingdom of God.

I found it interesting that Paul tried to avoid suffering for Christ in one city, went to the next and suffered tremendously, but how the Lord obviously strengthened him and equipped him with the grace he needed to not only GET THROUGH it but also to PRAISE HIM in the midst of it and be used by God to encourage others.

No matter what you are going through, it is not a mistake. God allows things. Yes, even suffering. But He will help you and strengthen you through it. Hold fast to him.

Love, Sara